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New federal regulations issued this week stipulate that the electronic health records--that all Americans are supposed to have by 2014 under the terms of the stimulus law that President Barack Obama signed last year--must record not only the traditional measures of height and weight, but also the Body Mass Index: a measure of obesity.

The obesity-rating regulation states that every American's electronic health record must: “Calculate body mass index. Automatically calculate and display body mass index (BMI) based on a patient’s height and weight.”

The law also requires that these electronic health records be available--with appropriate security measures--on a national exchange.

The new regulations are one of the first steps towards the government’s goal of universal adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) by 2014, as outlined in the 2009 economic stimulus law. Specifically, the regulations issued on Tuesday by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Dr. David Blumenthal, the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, define the "meaningful use" of electronic records. Under the stimulus law, health care providers--including doctors and hospitals--must establish "meaningful use" of EHRs by 2014 in order to qualify for federal subsidies. After that, they will be subjected to penalties in the form of diminished Medicare and Medicaid payments for not establishing "meaningful use" of EHRs.

Section 3001 of the stimulus law says: "The National Coordinator shall, in consultation with other appropriate Federal agencies (including the National Institute of Standards and Technology), update the Federal Health IT Strategic Plan (developed as of June 3, 2008) to include specific objectives, milestones, and metrics with respect to the following: (i) The electronic exchange and use of health information and the enterprise integration of such information.‘‘(ii) The utilization of an electronic health record for each person in the United States by 2014."

Under this mandate in the stimulus law, Secretary Sebelius issued a regulation--developed by Dr. Blumenthal--that requires that all EHRs keep track of a person’s Body Mass Index (BMI) score. Body Mass Index is a ratio between a person’s weight and height, and is used to determine whether or not someone is overweight or obese. It is the preferred method of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for measuring obesity.

Michelle Obama has made dealing with the problem of childhood obesity the main theme of her term as First Lady.

U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin. (Photo by Penny Starr/CNSNews.com)
According to the CDC, “BMI provides a reliable indicator of body fatness for most people and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems.”

A person’s BMI score is used as a tool to screen for obesity or excessive body fat that could lead to other health problems. While it does not actually measure body fat directly, according to CDC, the BMI scores generally correlate with a person’s body fat percentage.

The new regulations also stipulate that the new electronic records be capable of sending public health data to state and federal health agencies such as HHS and CDC. The CDC, which calls American society “obesogenic” – meaning that American society itself promotes obesity – collects BMI scores from state health agencies every year to monitor obesity nationwide.

“Electronically record, retrieve, and transmit syndrome based public health surveillance information to public health agencies,” the regulations read.

With the spread of electronic health records, the CDC apparently will be able to collect such data more efficiently and with greater accuracy because the electronic record keeping systems can send the data automatically, eliminating the need for government – both state and federal – to keep, send, and process physical records.

Research has shown that in the United States, the average adult male stands 5’9”, weighs 190 pounds, has 14 inch arms, can bench 145 pounds, and has 22% body fat.

We always hear about how women have issues with body image and how society projects the idea that they have to look a certain way in order to be accepted by global society. Conversely, male body image issues are never discussed, but the way the world presents the ideal male physique makes it a serious issue.

If you take a walk through your local shopping mall and actually pay attention, you will notice a few things about the stores. First, you will see that most stores do not cater to all sizes of people. If you are a male that wears over a size 42 pants or larger than a 2XL shirt, you will probably not be able to purchase any clothing from any store in the mall. Secondly, if the mall has a “big and tall” store, it is probably in some obscure corner where no one can find it, and most malls don’t even have one (I will discuss big and tall stores later on). Third, stores like Hollister, Abercrombie & Fitch, Aeropostale, and America Eagle only have males working there who look like models and do not accurately represent all males in America.

American society is trying to push the idea that in order to be an accepted male, you have to look like these male models. You are probably wondering how this idea is being spread. Well, you have these stores in the mall. There also is the body mass index. Body mass index, or BMI, is a calculated number that tells you if you are underweight, normal, overweight, or obese solely based on your height and weight. The actual formula is:

[Weight in pounds ÷ (Height in inches)2] x 703

(If this is too complicated, there are a ton of BMI calculators on the Internet.)

After you figure out your BMI number, here is the chart to tell you where you place:

I think that it’s important to show how wrong the BMI is by using one of the most well known visions of healthy living – bodybuilding. Bodybuilders are seen as a prime example of healthy living. They are known for their amazing physiques. There are dozens of publications worldwide that promote bodybuilding and their practices. The reigning Mr. Olympia, Jay Cutler, stands at 5’9” and weighed 266lb at the 2009 Mr. Olympia competition. According to the BMI chart, his BMI is 39.3, which makes him obese. Now class, repeat after me – CONTRADICTION! How can Cutler or any other bodybuilder be seen as examples of fitness and healthy living, but also be considered overweight or obese? If you haven’t been paying attention to what I have said, the body mass index is nothing but BULL****!

The BMI scale does not take genetics, ethnicity, or activity levels into consideration. From what I have observed and read, it seems that those of African, Polynesian, Germanic, Native American, or Scandinavian descent are genetically designed to be bigger than average. It is my personal opinion that the body mass index should be thrown out the window and we find another method of determining the health level of an individual.

My next qualm with male body image issues is this whole idea of a “6-pack.” Who made the decision that a 6-pack is a sign of good health and a symbol of being a man?? If I remember my high school biology class, have a chromosomal pairing of XY, along with all the extra body parts that come along with that XY chromosomal pairing defines what a male is, not having a 6-pack.

Yes – everyone would like to have a visible 6-pack but it shouldn’t come at a sacrifice of size. I know people who are massive and have visible 6-packs and will show them all day. We have to remember that the abdomen is a group of muscle that can increase in size through rigorous exercise. Also, there are plenty of people who aren’t concerned about having visible abs, but want strong abs so they are strong overall.

Now, I think this is a good time for me to use my college degree in history to shed some light on male body image. In history, the idea of the male physique was extremely different than what it is today. In African “tribes” (I don’t like using that word, but it’s the only word I can use that everyone can understand), men who were wealthy were actually big men. Their girth was a sign of their wealth. Siddhartha Gautama, also known as the Buddha, has statues of him all over the world as a fat man sitting in the lotus position. Greek mythology has their gods, in human form, as larger than life. History’s idea is that the bigger you are, the more power you have and the more accepted and respected you will be by society. Now, it seems like that you are more popular if you look like the poster child for Abercrombie & Fitch with frosted tips and the fakest, orangest tan on the planet. American society has warped the image of the male physique and I am ready & willing to take a stand against it!

Back to the topic of big and tall stores, I am a fairly large man and I have always had trouble finding clothes that fit me the way I want them to fit. I’ve shopped at a big and tall store one time and I REFUSE to shop there again. My issue with these stores is they don’t make the men who shop there feel good about themselves or their body images. The big and tall stores make their shirts to fit over protruding stomachs and not everyone has a gut. Big and tall stores place a stereotype on all big men – they are fat with protruding stomachs. I won’t go into detail about how vile the clothing looks, but you get my point.

What American society has done has caused mass confusion and hysteria amongst the men and boys in the United States. Yes – I say boys. I have never seen so many boys under the age of 16 so obsessively concerned with their physiques. It’s a shame that young boys are studying diets and taking supplements, including steroids. On top of that, American society is teaching these boys, along with adult men, that there is an easy fix to their physique “problems.”

The only way to get results is to TRAIN HARD and LONG. It’s not these 20 minutes a day, 3 times a week routines you see all over television. It is spending hundreds of hours in the gym sweating and bleeding and crying in pain to build the physique you want.

It has gotten to a point where the American media is FORCING the ideal male physique on American men rather than letting American men CHOOSE what physique they want. It reminds me of Hitler and his eradication of every race that did not fit the description of his Aryan race. American society is trying to eradicate every male physique image that does not match up with its version of the ideal male physique. I refuse to let someone else, other than the Almighty God, tell me what kind of physique I should have. It is my choice not to be 174lbs. It is my choice to be big and bulky. Neither the American media nor American society has the right or privilege to tell me what I am supposed to look like.

Speaking of the American media, let’s take a gander at that and see how they screwed up America’s view on the male physique.

American television and film give off this preconceived notion of what the ideal male should look and act like. You rarely see the protagonist as someone who isn’t “fit” (and I use that term loosely). What television and film do is make their male viewers think that if they want the hot girls, the fancy cars, and a ton of money, they have to look like the people they see on the screen. WRONG!!

Now, I have talked about a ton of thing as far as the male physique and body image issues and I need to focus on the effects of all of this. Two things have happened: first, there is this mad dash for gyms by men so that they can look like this ideal physique that has been pressured on them by any means necessary. Second, this pressure by American society on American men has caused many men to give up on the gym and not even care about their health. Both scenarios are not the best but it is happening and we can thank American society for that.

The big question: What can be done about it??

Well, we can’t change everyone’s mind but there are some things that can be done. First, we can fight off these pressures that American society tries to place on us. How? We can not let society place a common image on us because we are not common. Second, we can let people know that it’s OK to be different. There is nothing wrong with not fitting the cookie cutter image. The biggest concern should be being healthy and if you’re healthy at a heavier weight than normal weight, that is all that matters.

It’s going to take a wing and a prayer to show American society how wrong they are but I believe that sooner or later, people, especially men, will stop listening and make their own decisions about what their ideal physique is and stop having all these body image issues.

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An adult gorilla's upper body strength is six times more powerful than that of an adult human - enabling them to lift, break, and squeeze heavy objects. I'd rather have GORILLA STRENGTH & GORILLA MUSLCE!

JBIGS, I'm sorry to reply to that great post with so few words, but clap clap clap! Well said!

Thanks beam...it's how I feel...I'm 5'10" and weigh 330 and my doctor is amazed that I am completely healthy...no high blood pressure or bad cholesterol...nothing that says I am obese...just the fact that I lift weights and like to be big!

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An adult gorilla's upper body strength is six times more powerful than that of an adult human - enabling them to lift, break, and squeeze heavy objects. I'd rather have GORILLA STRENGTH & GORILLA MUSLCE!

Skinny =/= fit. Skinny=/=healthy. Same for low body weight. When are people going to wake up and understand that there is a huge difference between being skinny and being fit? Sometimes they are partners, sometimes they are not. I'm not skinny, will never be skinny, but I can guarantee I can outrun, outlift, and look much better naked than most women that would be considered "fit" (read: skinny) by the industry standard.

__________________"Somewhere, someone isn't impressed by your looks. Not all men jump through the hoops of your fire. You're unbelievably boring to more people than you'll ever know." --Henry Rollins

"If someone tells you something is easy and they can't explain how to do it, it's not easy." --Steve Shaw

Thanks beam...it's how I feel...I'm 5'10" and weigh 330 and my doctor is amazed that I am completely healthy...no high blood pressure or bad cholesterol...nothing that says I am obese...just the fact that I lift weights and like to be big!

Great post.

I like to be big!

When I am lifting my health screens and blood tests always come back perfect. In fact, they are low in a good way.

The frustrating part for me is that I would have to weigh 173 to be considered at the high end of normal weight. Unfortunately my lean body mass is 178-79. And I'm shrinking in height as I get older.

This is more nanny-state bullsh*t brought to you by your benevolent, loving government. The liberals love this crap, while the "conservative" RINOs (Republicans In Name Only) go along with it even when they're supposed to be against an overbearing govt.

I'm "overweight" and weigh just 165 pounds with single-digit bodyfat. They can pucker up and kiss my f*ckin ass.

Also, remember that McCain (phony Republican) recently co-sponsored a bill in Congress which would effectively make many supplements illegal.

Like I constantly tell people, I love my country but hate the government.

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An adult gorilla's upper body strength is six times more powerful than that of an adult human - enabling them to lift, break, and squeeze heavy objects. I'd rather have GORILLA STRENGTH & GORILLA MUSLCE!

Like I constantly tell people, I love my country but hate the government.

You're not alone. The congressional approval rating hit an all-time low of 11% this week.

I would love to see open debates so we could at least expose this country to some new ideas. But I think Ross Perot killed that open door. If I remember correctly, they did everything they could to keep Nader out.